‘Mary Poppins Returns’ Draws $4.8 Million in Opening Day Ticket Sales

It took Disney half a century to film a sequel to the beloved Mary Poppins, but it seems that the release was well timed. Mary Poppins Returns opened to audiences at 3,900 theaters on Wednesday and accumulated $4.8 million at the box office.

That’s a good start for the film, which cost $130 million to produce before international marketing. Mary Poppins Returns is projected to rake in $55 million by Sunday and $75 million in domestic sales by Christmas Day.

The sequel has had generally positive reviews, and currently sports a 78% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

While the film was released 54 years after the first Mary Poppins in our time, it picks up about two and a half decades after the original story in the lives of the Banks family. Emily Blunt has taken over the role of the titular character made famous by Julie Andrews’ portrayal, with critics praising her performance as a highlight of the sequel. Additional cast includes Lin Manuel Miranda as Jack the lamplighter, Meryl Streep as Poppins’ cousin Topsy, Emily Mortimer and Ben Whishaw as adult version of the original film’s Banks children, with a cameo by Dick Van Dyke.

The film was directed by Rob Marshall, with music by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman.